Just about everyone snores occasionally, and it’s usually not something to worry about. But if you regularly snore at night, it can disrupt the quality of your sleep—leading to daytime fatigue, irritability, and increased health problems. And if your snoring keeps your partner awake, it can create major relationship problems too.
Thankfully, sleeping in separate bedrooms isn’t the only remedy for snoring. There are many effective solutions that can help both you and your partner sleep better at night and overcome the relationship problems caused when one person snores.
Change your sleep position
Lying on your back causes the base of your tongue and soft palate to collapse to the back of your throat, causing a deep vibration sound. A change of pillow can sometimes alleviate this.
Lose weight
Weight loss helps some people but not everyone. Thin people snore, too.
If you did not snore before you gained weight, weight loss may help.
If you gain weight around your neck, it squeezes the internal diameter of the throat, making it more likely to collapse during sleep, triggering snoring.
Avoid alcohol
Drinking alcohol four to five hours before sleeping makes snoring worse. People who don’t normally snore will probably snore after drinking alcohol.
Practice good sleep habits
Working long hours without enough sleep, for example, means when you finally hit the sack you’re overtired. You sleep hard and deep, and the muscles become floppier, which creates snoring.
Open nasal passages
If snoring starts in your nose, keeping nasal passages open may help. It allows air to move through slower.
If your nose is clogged or narrowed due to a cold or other blockage, the fast-moving air is more likely to produce snoring.
A hot shower before you go to bed can help open nasal passages. Also, keep a bottle of saline rinse in the shower. Rinse your nose out with it while you’re showering to help open up passage.
Stay well hydrated
Drink plenty of fluids. “Secretions in your nose and soft palate become stickier when you’re dehydrated. This can create more snoring.” According to the Institute of Medicine, healthy women should have about 11 cups of total water (from all drinks and food) a day; men require about 16 cups.
Overall, get enough sleep, sleep on your side, avoid alcohol before bedtime and take a hot shower if nasal passages are clogged. These simple practices can make a huge difference in reducing snoring.
